Laminated battery modules are known in which a battery laminate containing one or more cell units is interposed between metal plates or other restraining members and restrained at a prescribed load.
The volume of the battery laminate present in such laminated battery modules expands and contracts accompanying charging and discharging of the battery or changes in temperature, for example. Elastic members may be interposed between the battery laminate and metal plates, for example, for the purpose of preventing damage to the restraining members attributable to this expansion and contraction of the battery laminate.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a battery module provided with a laminate containing a plurality of battery cells (unit cells) laminated along a prescribed direction, a restraining member, containing a pair of end plates respectively arranged on one end and the other end of the laminate in the prescribed direction, which applies a restraining load to the battery cells along the prescribed direction by fastening the end plates mutually, elastic members compressed accompanying expansion of the battery cells to which the restraining load is applied by the restraining member together with the battery cells, and a relief mechanism containing a relief space that allows a portion of the elastic members to fit therein when the elastic members have been compressed.